Rev. Horace L. Sheffield Responds To Mike Cox's 'Mis-Tweet'

DETROIT -- Rev. Horace L. Sheffield, III, President of the Michigan Chapter of the National Action Network, issues the following response to Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's statement that he's disgusted that civil-rights activist Al Sharpton will be speaking at the funeral for a 7-year-old girl shot by Detroit police made on his Twitter page. Cox said today he's "digusted (sic) but not surprised" by Sharpton's planned appearance Saturday at the funeral for Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Cox, a Republican candidate for governor, misspelled "disgusted."

How can the very office that ultimately has to oversee the Michigan State Police's Investigation of the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones be so blatantly and publicly biased from the very beginning? Of course for Mike Cox, and his involvement in Detroit-based investigations, this is par for the course, or maybe, actually sub-par for the course.

It is disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable that Attorney General Cox would forsake his law enforcement role for such public pandering apparently aimed at trying to get elected to another office. Mr. Cox was just quoted minutes ago as saying "the Michigan State Police should be allowed to finish their investigating." Rev. Sharpton and I wholeheartedly agree. Therefore, the Attorney General should either immediately "tweet" the announcement of his removal from any role in the ongoing Aiyana Stanley-Jones investigation, particularly if he cannot restrain himself from prematurely prejudicing the investigation with such racially charged and potentially volatile remarks, or simply resign from the office of Attorney General right now so he can no longer promote such racist behavior on the public's dime and at the expense of a grieving family and city.

Furthermore, as for Rev. Sharpton and Officer Brian Huff's death and funeral, and the alleged lack of his presence or absence thereof, I, on behalf of myself, my organizations, Rev. Sharpton, and the National Action Network, the week of Officer Huff's funeral, already donated $500 toward the expenses of that funeral. What did Mr. Cox donate except maybe some more misplaced and inappropriate comments? Apparently, Mr. Cox is really void of facts and lacking in investigative skills -- both of which I thought were necessary for maintaining his present job. Maybe that's why he's running for a different job that may not require these.